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Annotated Bibliography

Is obesity an inherent problem in America?

Will Thrower

Professor Malcolm Campbell

English 1104

3/15/2017
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Annotated Bibliography

Overweight & Obesity. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention, 17 Nov. 2016, www.cdc.gov/obesity/. Accessed 13 Mar. 2017.

The Center for Disease Control is a good starting point for the topic of obesity because it is

reliable and updated frequently. Obesity in America is a widespread issue with over 36.5%

of Adult Americans being Obese. The personal complications stemming from obesity are

monstrous with type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and cancer all being common side

effects. According to the CDC these are some of the leading causes of preventable

death. The CDC also reports that non hispanic blacks have the highest obesity rates at

42.5%. This is partially due to socioeconomic status, as it is statistically proven that those

with higher incomes are less likely to be obese than those with lower incomes. A large

card played into obesity is the fast food industry since it often appeals to lower income

families who feed it to their children. Children develop eating habits at a young age based

on what their parents taught them. When the drive through becomes a part of everyday life

rather than healthy home cooked meals, it takes a toll on personal health and strengthens

the industry. The value of consuming less and eating healthier appears to be more clear

than ever with the statistics coming from the CDC.

Appleby, Julie. Obesity-Linked Diagnoses On The Rise Among Kids And Teens. NPR, NPR,

12 Jan. 2017, www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/01/12/509374443/obesity-linked-

diagnoses-on-the-rise-among-kids-and-teens. Accessed 13 Mar. 2017.

The article Obesity Linked Diagnoses On The Rise Among Kids And Teens, provides

good information regarding inherent nutrition and the benefits of exercise. The best part

about this article is that it is very reliable coming from NPR, and it is very recent since it
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was published in late January of 2017. Appleby touches on high blood pressure, type 2

diabetes, and sleep apnea, suggesting that these conditions are more common of older

Americans. Now that Children have adopted these new eating habits with a lack of

exercise, the health complications come much earlier as a side effect. People under the age

of 23 with type 2 diabetes has doubled between 2011 and 2015. During the same four

years, obesity diagnosis jumped 94% in toddlers and infants, and 154% among people aged

19-22. Appleby finishes the article by saying the country needs to find more effective

ways to prevent obesity from happening in the first place also noting that were pretty poor

at getting people to change their behavior.

Savona-Ventura, Charles, and Stephanie Savona-Ventura. The Inheritance of Obesity.YBEOG

Best Practice & Research Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecology, vol. 29, no. 3, 2015, pp.

300308.

The article by Ventura is great because of its subject matter and credibility. Ventura is a

Medical Doctor, his article has been peer reviewed, and he is a professor. Ventura explains

in the article that there is not really enough evidence to suggest that obesity is a genetically

transmitted issue. He did suggest however that embryos of parents who intake more food

and have heavier eating habits could have children who eat more. Eating habits are

developed subconsciously through time and what the body adjusts to. In order to change

these habits it starts with parents. If people do not want the next generation to be

overweight, it will have to start with eating habits implemented by parents and exercise for

overall health.
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Blumenthal, M.D. Susan. Poverty And Obesity: Breaking The Link. The Huffington Post,

TheHuffingtonPost.com, 11 Apr. 2012, www.huffingtonpost.com/susan-

blumenthal/poverty-obesity_b_1417417.html. Accessed 13 Mar. 2017.

Blumenthals article provides good explanation for the correlation between obesity and

people who live at a lower income level. She also gives some very good statistics on

obesity and the cost of handling complications. In 2008 the cost of medical expenses was

147 billion and is expected to reach 344 billion by 2018. More than one third of adults who

earn less than $15,000 a year were obese when compared to 25% who earn more than

$50,000 a year. These numbers trickle down to children, raising obesity rates, and if they

stay present in their economic status, the obesity often continues to the next

generation. School systems often do not reach the lower classes in providing nutritional

education. When lack of knowledge, money, and fast food come into play, children have a

recipe for obesity. Lower income families sometimes live in areas where it is unsafe to

play outside, making exercise and weight loss much more difficult. While there are are

some programs like the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act that are implemented, there is not

enough right now to prevent obesity.